HOW CAN WE HELP PROTECT OUR W AT E R R E S O U R C E S ?

Litter and Debris in

Our Waterways
D EFINING A QUATIC L ITTER AND D EBRIS The rest of the debris we find in our waterways

A
quatic litter and debris are any manu-
factured or processed solid waste that
enter the aquatic environment from
any source. In short, it is our misplaced waste
and trash. It is a highly pervasive and visible
form of pollution that has harmful impacts on
wildlife and human health.
Aquatic ecosystems–streams, rivers, wetlands,
and estuaries–are under considerable pressure
from human activities, including incorrect dis-
posal of trash. While the world’s oceans are
vast, they do not have an infinite ability to
safely absorb our wastes. Preserving and
restoring the quality of freshwater and marine
environments requires that we understand
how much trash we create, what we do with
that trash, and how we can prevent it from
entering our waterways.
S OURCES OF A QUATIC D EBRIS
According to The Ocean Conservancy, all the
trash in our water shares a common origin:
“…at a critical decision point, someone, some-
where, mishandled it, either thoughtlessly or
deliberately.”
comes from land-based sources, including
people who litter, landfills, and storm drains.
Another source of land-based debris is from
combined sewer overflows. In some cities with
older infrastructures, such as Richmond and
Lynchburg, Virginia, the water that enters a
stormdrain during a rainstorm enters the
same pipes that take wastewater from homes
and businesses. This mixture of wastewater
and storm water travels to the cities’ waste-
water treatment plants. During times of heavy
rain, the volume of this water coming into the
wastewater treatment plant can overwhelm
the capacity of the plant, thereby causing
an overflow. In combined sewer overflow
situations, untreated wastewater (including
raw sewage and untreated pollutants) directly
enters the receiving stream or river. There-
fore, items flushed down the toilet can end
up in our waterways. Millions of dollars are
being spent in Virginia and across the U.S.
to eliminate this problem.

Some debris originates from the sea and in-

land waterways. This includes debris from
ships, boats, offshore drilling platforms, and
offshore rigs.

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It should be noted that in most towns and
cities, storm drains flow directly to streams
and rivers. Litter on sidewalks and streets
and in gutters is swept into the storm drain
system when it rains. Just as a drop of rain
can travel from a small stream to a river to
the Chesapeake Bay or the Atlantic Ocean, so
can a piece of litter. According to The Ocean
Conservancy, 60% to 80% of debris found on
ocean beaches is washed, blown, or dumped
from shore.
B EHAVIOR B EHIND THE D EBRIS
Deliberate littering and illegal dumping
contribute debris to our waterways, as do
other non-deliberate actions—such as
having a piece of debris blow out of your
car window or off your boat. Sometimes our
trash cans will be knocked over by animals
or the wind, resulting in more accidental
litter. One important concept for students to
grasp is that there is a behavior and a person
behind every piece of debris we find in our
waterways. Some of these behaviors are:
Litter from Recreational Activities and Fast
Food Consumption
This category includes trash from fast-food
restaurants that is littered by people in cars,
or is left behind after a picnic. People who
litter fast-food items contribute a significant
amount of debris to our waterways. Other
LITTER
items include bags, balloons, beverage
containers, clothing, and toys.
Debris from Ocean and Waterway Activities
This category includes fishing-related items
from recreational and commercial fisher-
men like nets, fishing line, and bait boxes.
Debris can also come from offshore oil and
gas rigs, and from ships (military, cruise,
and commercial).
Litter from Smoking
This category includes cigarette butts, cigar
tips, lighters, and the wrappers on cigarette
packs. Smoking-related activities account for a
tremendous amount of litter—in some places
cigarette butts make up more than 85% of all
littered items.
Illegal Dumping Activities
This category includes household waste,
refrigerators and other appliances, building
and construction waste, tires and sometimes
entire cars.
Personal Hygiene and Medical Debris
This category includes items from sewers
that overflow, diapers, needles, and other
related items.
Whether these items enter the aquatic environ-
ment from dumping, litter, or accidental routes,
debris not only looks ugly, but it can harm
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 HOW CAN WE HELP PROTECT OUR
the animals and plants that make their homes
in stream, lake, wetland, and coastal
environments.
T YPES OF A QUATIC D EBRIS
Every year, volunteers across the world part-
icipate in the International Coastal Cleanup,
picking up aquatic debris and collecting data
about the quantity and types of litter they find.
The top ten list from these cleanups gives us a
tremendous amount of information about the
behaviors and activities that contribute most
to the aquatic debris problem. The Top Ten
items vary little year-to-year.
Top Ten Litter Items in the United States
In the 2001 International Coastal Cleanup,
these items comprised 82% of all debris found
in the U.S.
1. Cigarette butts/cigarette filters
2. Bags/food wrappers
3. Caps, lids
4. Beverage bottles (glass)
5. Beverage cans
6. Cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons
7. Beverage bottles (plastic) 2 liters or less
8. Straws, stirrers
9. Fast food Containers
10. Cigar tips
W AT E R R E S O U R C E S ?
PLASTICS — A SPECIAL PROBLEM
Plastic is widely used due to its light weight,
strength, durability, versatility, and low cost. We use
plastic bags, bottles, cups, forks, spoons, straws,
and six-pack rings. Many toys are made from plas-
tics, as are tools including strapping bands, and
plastic sheeting. Plastic is also used in making pack-
ing materials and fishing gear. Plastics can take
hundreds of years to break down, so they may con-
tinue to entangle and kill animals year after year.
One study found that almost 90 percent of the debris
floating on our oceans is plastic. The filters on
cigarettes are also made from plastic fibers.
Top Ten Litter Items in Virginia
In the 2001 International Coastal Cleanup,
these items comprised 85% of all debris
found in Virginia.
1. Cigarette butts/cigarette filters
2. Bags/food wrappers
3. Beverage bottles (plastic) 2 liters or less
4. Beverage bottles (glass)
5. Beverage cans
6. Cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons
7. Caps, lids
8. Fast-food containers
9. Straws, stirrers
10. Tobacco packaging/wrappers
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Any trash that is improperly disposed of can
potentially enter a waterway and have negative
impacts on aquatic animals, plants, and
humans. Aquatic debris can be categorized
in several ways:
• By material (plastic, metal, glass,
cloth, paper)
• By source or by the activity which led
the trash to be in the water. Some activities
include fast food consumption, smoking,
fishing, illegal dumping, sports/ games,
balloons used in advertising, etc.
• By impact the items have on the
environment and wildlife
• By biodegradable / nondegradable (Much of
our solid waste contains synthetic materials
that do not degrade quickly, if at all.)
• By recyclable / non-recyclable
I MPACTS OF A QUATIC D EBRIS
Litter not only detracts from the beauty of a
riverside park or beach, but also can be a
health and safety hazard for humans, and
aquatic wildlife. Another big impact of litter
is the cost to society. Millions of dollars are
spent every year in Virginia by state and local
governments, parks, schools, and businesses
to pick up litter.
Impacts on Aquatic Habitat
Habitat destruction or harm is caused when
submerged debris (for example, a piece of
plastic sheeting) covers seagrass beds, or
smothers bottom-dwelling species. Some
debris can also cause physical damage.
LITTER
Impacts on Water Quality
Debris can also affect the water quality by
adding chemicals to the water. Construction
waste illegally dumped in a stream can in-
clude buckets that once held paints, solvents,
and other chemicals that can enter the water.
Cigarette butts and some other littered items
contain toxic chemicals that leach into
the water.
Impacts on Aquatic Animals — Entanglement
and Ingestion
Aquatic debris can be particularly dangerous
and often lethal to wildlife. Each year, more
than 100,000 marine mammals die when
they ingest debris or become entangled in
ropes, fishing line, fishing nets, and other
debris dumped into the ocean. Seals are
especially prone to become entangled because
they are by nature curious and will investigate
unusual items in their environment.
As many as 2 million seabirds also die every
year due to debris ingestion and entanglement.
Fishing line, fishing nets, strapping bands,
and six-pack rings can hamper the mobility
of aquatic animals. Once entangled, animals
have trouble eating, breathing, finding food,
escaping predators, or swimming, all of which
can have fatal results. Entanglement can also
cause wounds that can become infected.
According to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), marine
debris threatens over 265 different species of
marine and coastal wild-life through entangle-
ment, smothering, and interference with
digestive systems.
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Sea turtles, birds, fish, and mammals often
mistake plastic items for food. For instance,
sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for
jellyfish, one of their favorite foods. With
plastic filling their stomachs, animals have
a false feeling of being full, and may die of
starvation. Ingested items can also block
the intestinal tract and prevent digestion.
Impacts on Human Health and Safety
Trash in our waterways can also affect human
health and safety. Hazards include glass and
metal left on the beach, or hospital needles
and syringes that can carry disease. Fisher-
men and recreational boaters can also be
endangered as nets and monofilament fishing
line wrap around a boat’s propeller. Plastic
sheeting and bags can also block the cooling
intakes on boats. Such damage is hazardous
and costly in terms of repair and lost fishing
time. A survey in Oregon revealed that nearly
60 percent of fishermen had experienced
equipment damage due to marine debris,
costing thousands of dollars in repairs.
Economic Impacts from Aquatic Debris
A tremendous amount of time, effort, and
machinery is devoted in Virginia to cleaning
up litter on the land and in our waterways.
Many Virginian coastal communities and parks
have regular beach sweeping to remove trash
left behind by visitors. Virginia’s Department
of Transportation spends more than $6 million
to remove litter from our roadsides in addition
to the thousands of hours Adopt-A-Highway
volunteers spend picking it up. For information
W AT E R R E S O U R C E S ?
CIGARETTE BUTTS —A SPECIAL PROBLEM
During the International Coastal Cleanup, sponsored
by The Ocean Conservancy, cigarette butts are
the #1 most frequently found litter item. Trillions of
cigarette butts are disposed of yearly, many directly
tossed into the environment. Cigarette filters are
made out of cellulose acetate, a plastic that takes
several years to degrade.
Cigarette butts accumulate outside of buildings,
on parking lots, and in streets where they can be
transported through storm drains into streams and
rivers. In addition to being unsightly, the chemicals
that leach out of cigarette butt litter present a
toxic threat to aquatic animals. The compounds
in discarded cigarette butts (the filters and remnant
tobacco) are biohazards to the water flea, Daphnia
magna, a small crustacean at the lower end of, but
important to, the aquatic food chain. Cigarette butts
in the environment are an important litter issue – not
a smoking issue.
on the Adopt-A-Highway program, see http:-
//www.virginiadot.org/infoservice/prog-aah-
default.asp College grounds maintenance
crews spend thousands of hours every
year picking up litter, as do employees
of restaurants, hotels, stores, and other
businesses.
Every county in Virginia has a Litter Preven-
tion and Recycling Coordinator. To find the
coordinator in your county, visit this website:
http://www.deq.state.va.us/recycle/city-
countylist.html
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In addition to costly cleanup procedures, there
are other economic impacts that are harder to
put a price on. Littered parks, marinas, and
beaches suffer from lost tourist income, and
fisheries that are full of debris can result in
decreased yield of food such as crabs and fish.
S OLUTIONS TO A QUATIC D EBRIS
Cleanup
One solution to the aquatic debris problem is
cleaning up the trash using paid employees
and volunteers.
Several groups organize volunteer cleanups
in Virginia, and are happy to include school
groups in their efforts to make our streams
and beaches cleaner. The International Coastal
Cleanup in Virginia, an annual statewide
cleanup of all water bodies in Virginia, is
organized by Clean Virginia Waterways, located
at Longwood University in Farmville. In addi-
tion to this statewide event, there are several
regional cleanup events held every spring
including the James River Regional Cleanup
(organized by the James River Advisory
Council), Clean the Bay Day (organized by
the Chesapeake Bay Foundation), and the
Potomac River Cleanup (organized by the Alice
Ferguson Foundation). Hundreds of local
cleanups are also organized every year through
the Adopt-a-Stream program (run by the
Virginia Department of Conservation and
Recreation), where groups of interested citizens
adopt a stream in their area. Virginia also has
dozens of Friends of... groups, including
LITTER
Friends of the Rappahannock, Friends of the
Shenandoah River, and Friends of the
Appomattox River. These groups offer a variety
of stewardship opportunities for citizens and
students. See the list at end of chapter for con-
tact information.
Are Cleanups the Answer ?
Cleaning up pollution after it has entered
the water is important, but it can be only a
temporary solution if the sources of pollution
are not also addressed. As mentioned above,
the costs associated with cleanups can also
be high. While both pollution cleanup and
pollution prevention are needed, when it
comes to the very preventable problem of
aquatic debris, emphasizing prevention will
yield greater results.
Pollution Prevention
There are two main approaches to preventing
litter and trash from entering our waterways.
1.Proper Disposal. Educate people on the need
to dispose of their trash properly, and make
it easy for them to do so.
2.Waste Reduction. Examine how much waste
we produce, and find ways to reduce it.
Proper Disposal
What a difference proper disposal of waste
can make! As seen above, the vast majority
of the aquatic litter is from items we can all
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easily carry until we find a trash can. Fast-food
wrappers, bottles, cans, and cigarette butts
are more than 80% of the litter we find in our
waterways.
Waste Reduction
In the United States, we have 4.6% of the
world’s population, but we produce about 33%
of the world’s solid waste. Each of us can make
incredible strides in reducing the amount of
waste we are responsible for creating by
employing the three “Rs”– Recycle, Reuse,
Reduce. For every item we recycle or reuse,
there will be one less piece of trash that can
become a part of the aquatic debris cycle.
People can reduce the amount of trash they
dispose of by:
• Buying reusable items rather than disposable
ones. This can include reusable lunchboxes,
plates, cups, eating utensils, and food
containers instead of disposable items.
• Reusing items several times before throwing
them away.
• Recycling plastics, glass, metals, and paper,
and buying recycled goods too.
• Choosing items that have the least
packaging.
• Not buying helium-filled balloons, and
discouraging the release of balloons. Ask
communities to celebrate in a way that
LITTER
BALLOONS — A SPECIAL PROBLEM
What goes up must come down! Balloons return to
the land and sea where they can be mistaken for
prey and eaten by animals. Sea turtles, dolphins,
whales, fish, and seabirds have been reported with
balloons in their stomachs. It is believed that they
mistake balloons for jelly-fish which are their
natural prey. In 1985, an infant sperm whale was
found dead of starvation as a result of ingestion of
an inflated Mylar balloon which had lodged in its
intestines. Ribbons and strings tied to balloons can
also lead to entanglement.
In 1991, Virginia joined a handful of states in
banning the mass release of balloons. The
law states:
“It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly
release or cause to be released into the
atmosphere within a one-hour period fifty
or more balloons which are (i) made of a non-
biodegradable or nonphotodegradable material
or any material which requires more than five
minutes’ contact with air or water to degrade
and (ii) inflated with a substance which is lighter
than air.”
Balloons released for scientfic or meteorological
purposes are allowed.
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doesn’t add these deadly balloons to our
aquatic environment.
• Composting kitchen and yard waste.
• Using rechargeable batteries and recycling
them when their useful life is over.
• Using a canvas or string bag to carry
groceries and other items.
In Virginia, we have litter laws, and also a ban
on the mass release of balloons (see box on
page 7 of this chapter). To read Virginia’s litter
laws, go to the Virginia General Assembly’s web
site (http://legis.state.va.us) and select Code of
Virginia. Type litter in the search box, and then
click on Submit. You will see a list of statutes
and regulations addressing this topic.

• Using cloth napkins, dishtowels, and hand-

L ITTER AS A T EACHING T OOL
kerchiefs instead of paper ones.
For young students, litter is often the first
Laws and Regulations thing they think of when they are asked to
visualize pollution. And unlike less visible
Growing public awareness and concern for
forms of aquatic pollution (pesticides, gasoline,
controlling debris in our oceans and water-
oil, toxic chemicals, sewage), children can
ways has led to international, national, and
play a significant role in reducing the aquatic
state-wide laws that prohibit littering and the
debris problem. They can help by cleaning
dumping of trash in waterways. In the United
debris out of a stream or off a beach, and they
States and in Virginia, there are several laws
can also learn to dispose of all trash properly
regulating the use, disposal, and effects of
and never be a source of litter. Other ways
solid waste on aquatic environments.
litter can be a valuable teaching tool include:
In 1988, the U.S. signed onto the International
• Teaching the connection between our
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from
actions and environmental impacts.
Ships — called MARPOL for short—joining 64
Decisions we make can lead to pollution,
other countries that signed this international
or to a cleaner environment. The environ-
protocol that made dumping plastic into the
mental consequences of our actions can
ocean illegal. After signing MARPOL, the U.S.
be hard to predict.
passed the Marine Plastic Pollution Research
and Control Act. This act makes it against the • Understanding how trash becomes aquatic
law to dump plastics at sea and in all U.S. debris (storm drain connection).
navigable waters. Laws like this have reduced
• Participating in a cleanup activity, gathering
the amount of trash on our beaches and in
data about the debris found, and analyzing
our ocean. Even so, it is estimated that there
the data can lead to a student’s development
are more than 46,000 pieces of plastic debris
of an environmental ethic, and heightened
floating on every square mile of ocean today.
commitment to preserve water quality,
beauty, and wildlife. Participating in cleaning

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an area can help them realize that solving of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds.
water pollution problems requires every- http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris
one’s involvement. /index.html

• Cleaning up aquatic debris is one way
students can have a direct and positive role
in protecting our aquatic habitats.
• Animals are dependent on a safe and healthy
habitat. Their water and land homes should
be free from litter.
• Trash that is not in the right place (like a
recycling bin, a trash can, or other waste
container) is litter.
Turning the Tide on Trash: Marine Debris
Curriculum. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and
Watersheds http://www.epa.gov/owow/
OCPD/Marine/contents.html
Virginia Department of Environmental
Quality’s Office of Litter Prevention and
Recycling. http://www.deq.state.va.
us/recycle/

• Litter makes our communities less attractive For the student...

and less healthy places to live in.
Marine Debris Coloring Book. National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
R ESOURCES
http://www.education.noaa.gov/books/debris/
For the teacher... debris1.htm
Marine Debris Education. National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). WATERWAYS C LEANUP E VENTS IN
http://www.education.noaa.gov/books/debris/ V IRGINIA :
debris1.htmhttp://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/ • The International Coastal Cleanup in Virginia
oceanreport/marinedebris.html (Every September) organized by Clean
Pocket Guide to Marine Debris. The Ocean Virginia Waterways
Conservancy (2002). Email: cleanva@longwood.edu
Pollution Solutions: Litter Prevention Activities Phone: 434–395–2602
for Virginia Teachers. Virginia Department of Web Site: http://web/longwood.edu/cleanva
Environmental Quality, Department of
Environmental Education. • Clean the Bay Day (Every Spring) organized
by Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Trash in our Oceans—You Can Be Part of
the Solution: Marine Debris Abatement.U.S. Email: chesapeake@cbf.org
Environmental Protection Agency, Office Phone: 757-622-1964 or 1-800-savebay
Web Site: http://www.savethebay.cbf.org/
clean

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• Potomac River Watershed Cleanup (Every

Spring) coordinated by the Alice Ferguson
Foundation

Email: potomaccleanup@ferguson
foundation.org
Phone: 301–292–6665
Web Site: http://www.ferguson
foundation.org

• James River Regional Cleanup (Every Spring

within the counties of Chesterfield, Henrico,
Powhatan, Goochland, Cumberland, and
Charles City and the cities of Richmond and
Lynchburg) sponsored by the James River
Advisory Council

Email: conleyk@chesterfield.gov
Phone: 804–748–1567
Web Site: www.jamesriveradvisory
council.com

• Adopt-a-Stream and storm-drain stenciling

programs sponsored by the Virginia
Department of Conservation and Recreation

Phone: 804–692–0148
Web Site:http://www.dcr.state.va.us/sw/
adopt.htm

Virginia also has dozens of Friends of...

groups, including Friends of the Rappa-
hannock, Friends of the Shenandoah River,
and Friends of the Appomattox River. A list of
these organizations can be found on this web
site: http://www.deq.state.va.us/cmonitor
/links.html

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